Connectors for attaching an electrical conductor to an electrical box or junction box are well known in the art. Such electric or junction boxes, fuse boxes and the like are uniformly used in virtually all residential and commercial buildings. As a result, such electrical boxes have been standardized. However, even though such electrical boxes have been generally standardized, it has been noted that while such boxes may conform to the standards adopted, there still exists some slight variations and deviations that occur within the accepted limited of the established standard, as for example the punch out opening formed in such electrical boxes may vary slightly in size by small amounts. Such minor size variations can cause a connector used in such instance to be improperly or not properly grounded.
It has also been observed that many of the commonly know connectors are limited for use with only a specific type of electrical conductor, e.g. applicable for use only with helically wound armor or BX type cable or for use with non-metallic sheathed cables, or co-axial cables and the like. Such known connectors are evidenced in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,725,883; 1,830,250, and 2,823,932 for metallic armor or BX cables; U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,445,633; 4,711,472 and 5,132,493 for non-metallic conductors; and U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,544,705; 3,631,738 and 3,788,582 for co-axial type cables.
Other connectors are known, as for example, as evidenced by U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,171,164 and 5,266,050. While the connectors disclosed in said later patents are provided with a spring steel adaptor to effect the securing of the connector to an electrical box, some difficulty and excessive force may be required to effect the connection, as the connector does not provide any relief space to accommodate the deflection of the spring tangs or fingers during insertion through the knock out opening of an electrical box. It has been further observed that proper grounding may not be achieved in the event a given electrical box has a knock out opening which may be slightly oversized or the connector is slightly undersized, but still within the parameters of the adopted standards for electrical box and associated connectors.
Other connectors having a retaining clip for use with connectors for an electrical box are evidenced by U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,189,258 and 5,342,994. These patents relate to a novel retaining clip for use with connectors having a thread engaging portion that permits the securing of a threaded connector to an electrical box without threading the connector to the electrical box.
Accordingly, the instant invention is directed to further improvements relating to means for more effectively securing or connecting an electrical connector to an electrical box in a manner to insure a positive grounding despite any slight deviations of size that may occur within the adopted standards for such electrical boxes and associated connectors.